


A Treat

by iksong_99



Category: Hospital Playlist, chae song hwa - Fandom, iksong - Fandom, lee ik jun
Genre: College, Couple, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Love, Medical School, bestfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:40:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24492157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iksong_99/pseuds/iksong_99
Summary: “Take your time, you can answer me when I’m back.”More than a month has passed since that day and she’s now adjusted to living in Sokcho, it’s much quieter and she only gets theater time every other week unlike her schedule in Yulje. She has visited Seoul a couple times already to attend a seminar and visited the gang for band practice on the weekends but she and Ik Jun never had the time to be alone again thus leaving her question unanswered, still.
Relationships: Chae Song Hwa/Lee Ik Jun (Hospital Playlist)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 146





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, my grammar is not perfect but I just want to share this fic I wrote because I'm literally overflowing with IkSong feels right now. IkSong endgame!!!

“Take your time, you can answer me when I’m back.”

More than a month has passed since that day and she’s now adjusted to living in Sokcho, it’s much quieter and she only gets theater time every other week unlike her schedule in Yulje. She has visited Seoul a couple times already to attend a seminar and visited the gang for band practice on the weekends but she and Ik Jun never had the time to be alone again thus leaving her question unanswered, still.

She was relieved how he acted like nothing happened even after his confessions but he never left her side, too. Even when she announced her relocation days after he practically professed his love in front of her team albeit the alcohol and Ahn Chi Hong who ticked him off, it was clearer than the first one and was made even clearer after he sung that song as if telling her “you were my first love, Chae Song Hwa and I still love you after all these years”. Still, he didn’t put the weight on her—even if it almost looks like she’s running away from him, he opted to respect her decision. Even on the most recent confession when he travelled all the way to Sokcho 5 hours before his flight to Spain he only told her he’d wait for her. But he would call when their breaks would meet or even when he’s driving in the morning and they would talk about random stuff like how Uju has gotten over the socks phase and is now moving on to cute hoodies. She has told him about the old couple living next door who would often offer her food at night and because they’re not her patients, she couldn’t say no. They talked about those stuff but never about them and although she likes it that way—for someone who likes to be upfront all the time, she’s speechless for once but she knows they’ll have to deal with it sooner or later. 

She was cut off from her reverie when her phone rang but her rounds will start in fifteen minutes which only means one thing  
Lee Ik Jun calling..

“Imoooooo”

“How is my favorite Lee?”

“Yaaa Chae Song Hwa, what about me?” Ik-jun butts in, it seems like she’s on speaker phone.

Most of the time she feels like she’s dealing with two kids. One who’s actually five and the other who acts like he’s five.

“Imo, I like to visit you too but Abujji said I need to be a good grandson to Halmeoni and Arabujji first but I promise I will visit you in Sokcho and play with you, Imo. ”

“Arasso, arasso. Aigoo, our U-ju is very thoughtful. Come visit me next time and I’ll cook your favorite pasta—we won’t tell Abujji that my spaghetti is your favorite, okay?”

“U-juyaaa how many egg drops do you want today?” It’s Ik-Jun again, trying to fight with her over his son’s attention. It’s adorable how this father and son duo can quickly make her smile even when it’s just a phone call, she can clearly picture them right now making silly faces right now.

“Lee Ik Jun, eyes on the road will you?” 

“Imo, dad is a good driver I promise.” U-ju quipped which made her snicker.

“I know, I know. I was just joking.” 

“U-ju, say good bye to Imo now she has to prepare herself so she can treat people with ouchies in their head.”

“Song Hwa Imo, I miss you! I will visit you soon okay? I love you!”

“Nae, saranghaeyo uri Uju don’t run around too much,okay? Be a good boy to Halmeoni and Arabujji!”

“Let’s grab dinner later after I drop U-ju. You’ll be done by 5, right?”

She was taken aback by what he said. The last time Ik Jun visited her, he left a question for her to answer. Will he ask for the response this time?

“Yes. Let’s try this sujjebi place my team and I visited last week. You will love it!” she was surprise by her own voice—it sounded composed and collected nothing like her thoughts, nothing like her at all.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
She finished earlier that day giving her time to rest for a while before Ik-Jun arrives. She rested her back in her lazy boy and tried to close her eyes; this way she can have time to gather her thoughts, to pick the right words for later as she plans to give him her answer. But she was once cut again when her phone rang. Not bothering to open her eyes, she whips out her phone from her pocket to answer the call.

“I’m in my office now, the rounds ended earlier than usual. Just tell me if you’re close by, don’t get out of your car anymore. It’s so hard to find parking here.” She said without a pause assuming it was Ik-jun she was talking to but to her surprise, it was someone else.

“Professor, I visited a friend nearby and I thought maybe we could eat together? But I guess you have plans already. I also have here the books you asked from Seon Bin.” It was Chi Hong, the resident who confessed but she turned down and the same resident who hastily decided to be transferred with her to Sokcho when she announced hers.

“Ahn Chi Hong, you know I won’t eat dinner with you alone, right? But thanks for bringing those books all the way here.” she tried her best to still sound playful but she’s actually just holding it in, not to sound annoyed and rude. He is after all, her junior.

“Nae Professor, I was just messing with you. Seon Bin told me you’d like to read some at home. Seriously, you really can’t take a break couldn’t you? I am actually here in the open parking already, if you can go out I’ll carry the books to your car.”

She checks the time and it’s 4:30PM already. Ik-jun will be here any moment now. She’ll send him a text to meet her in the parking lot and they’ll just use her car instead. That way, Ik-jun can carry the books to her home later. 

“Okay, meet me there in 5 minutes.”

It wasn’t hard to spot Chi Hong as he conveniently parked beside her car. He greeted her with that boyish grin of his while holding his nape. The box stood next to him.

“Annyeong haseyo, Professor!”

“Annyeong haseyo, you’re lucky to have found a slot, huh.”

She opened her trunk and freed some space for the box. It is a medium sized one, inside were a couple of books and some other references Song Hwa needs for a paper she’s writing with her team but it sure looks heavy for her to carry. 

“Professor, I still want to transfer here and help you.” 

Chi Hong said as she closed the door. Her back stiffened after hearing it again from him just when she thought he’s let this go already, he can really be persistently stubborn when he wants to be.

With a sigh she pressed her car key to make sure it’s close and faced him.

“Chi Hong, the answer remains the same. Yulje needs you more and you need Yulje to gain more experience. Please don’t waste that opportunity, it’s not easy to come by. 

He was about to put his hand on her shoulder when they were cut off by a loud honking from across the parking lot --- it was Lee Ik Jun and he doesn’t look pleased at all.


	2. Sokcho

“My ride’s here, drive safely.” She said not even minding to look at him. The thought of Ik Jun’s face bothered her a lot.

“Brother-in-law, drive safe okay?” she heard Ik Jun say the words playfully like he always do but his face was nowhere playful. So instead of telling him to use her car like her initial plan earlier, she instead just opted to stay quiet and went inside his car quietly.

The drive to the sujebi place was unusually quiet save for the soft sound of music coming from his car stereo. She wanted to talk but she don’t know what to say. It’s as if she’s twenty again not knowing what to do or say whenever he’s around. 

“I see you’re not wearing your neck brace today or did you forget about it again? At this rate you’re going I’m afraid I have to introduce again myself to you sooner or later.” Finally he’s joking again.  
“Yaaa! I left in purpose. I don’t want to eat wearing that inside a restaurant.” That’s a lie, she completely forgot about it because of Chi Hong.

It’s a Friday night and the sujebi place is a bit packed but they managed to find a spot near the window. Ik Jun was trying his best not to remember the incident earlier in the parking lot. The sight of Chi Hong irked him, that bit he can’t hide and Song Hwa’s probably aware of it already or maybe she’s not—one thing’s for sure and that is he missed seeing her smile at the menu like this. Sometimes he misses her a little too much and calls her on odd hours of the day, sometimes for no reason at all other than just wanting to hear her voice. Her stories are different from U-ju’s but it gives him the same bliss, the same smile, that same tug in his heart.   
He was staring at her with mouth agape as she downs her third bowl for the night.

“You liked it that much, huh?”

“Yes!” she enthusiastically answered while wiping the side of her face as he passes her his bowl of tteokboki.

“Here, you can have mine. But eat slowly, will you?”

She snickers and answered, “Nae, Dr. Lee.”

“Ik Jun-a, can we go back to the hospital to get my car?”  
The next sentence followed through but in a different voice—in a tone he wasn’t used to hearing from her, as if weighing the words she would say, her eyes proceeded to scan the whole place, eventually settling at the bowl of tteokbokki in front of her. “I need to take the books Chi Hong brought from Seoul to my apartment.”

“Hmmm. Is that why Chi Hong came by?” His eyes need to be somewhere else, too. He can’t ask the same question while looking at her face, he was afraid to see a different reaction, a different emotion. He was afraid he would lose her once she answers his question. 

“Yes, I told Seon Bin about it last week.” She answered quickly.

I didn’t ask him to come here she would like to add but it’s as if she lost her voice after seeing his pained expression. As if on cue, her phone rings and he motioned for her to pick it up. It was her mom.

“Are you done now? I’ll ask the ahjumma for the bill.” He mouthed as he stood and went to the counter.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
They talked about her mom on the drive back to the hospital and the song they’d be playing tomorrow at the band practice on their way to her place. Just before he was able park, the rain suddenly poured and he took quick glance at Song Hwa who is now smiling in her seat. 

“Do you have an umbrella?” he asked.

“No.” but that’s a lie. She’s always kept one in her bag for days like this but today, she chooses to say no. 

“Do you have one?” please say no. She looks at him, giggling. 

She looks so beautiful when she does that, he tells himself. Her smile reaches up to her eyes and he’s resisting all the urge to touch her.

“Don’t have either.” He shrugs as he turns off the engine, the sound of the rain against the cars and the pavement becomes clearer now. 

Song Hwa removes her seatbelt and reclines her seat, perhaps to get a better experience. The rain always fascinates her, the sound it makes, the cool air it leaves, even the smell it gives off makes her happy.

“Is your back bothering you right now? How many patients did you have today?”

“Not really, I just want to do this.” She stretches her legs making Ik-Jun smirk.

“Yaaa remember your first car?” she laughed at the sudden recall.

“Hmm-mm it was so small you were the only one comfortable inside. But who cares, right? We were too excited to go on road trips we didn’t mind if Jeong Won wakes up paralyzed 4 hours into the drive!” He unclasps his seatbelt and crossed his arm all the while adjusting himself to be more comfortable in his seat. He lets out a deep sigh, the past is sure a beautiful place to visit.

“All that mattered to us was laughing at the end of every exam, to have fun after a draining semester, to get into a good hospital for internship.. How did life become so complex, Lee Ik Jun?” she let out a bittersweet smile while fidgeting with her bag strap. 

“ We're getting old, that's what happened. Yesterday, I came in the office and the new intern and Hong-Do was laughing so hard I ended up laughing with them, too.” As if on cue, Song Hwa finds herself laughing as well. His car was filled with their laughter like they haven’t laughed like that in a long time. 

This right here feels like home. Ik Jun is home. 

Their laughter died down and Ik Jun reached for his tumbler.

Song Hwa reclines the car seat back and now they're within each other's line of view.

"Ik-Jun, you should pursue that person." 

He almost choked upon hearing her say those words. He looks at her and once again got drown in those beautiful eyes of hers

\----------------------------------------------.


	3. Sujebi and Rain

He shifted his gaze outside and lingered at nothing in particular before looking at her again.

"You do know it's you, right?"

"Hmm-mmm." She answered while biting her lips trying to stop the tears from falling.

She picks on the skin on her finger trying to distract herself from crying. She can’t cry now, she need these words out of her mind and into the open. She can’t be scared of her own feelings anymore. 

"I don't want to live a life knowing I didn't risk my all, Ik Jun. I'm tired of hiding, of pretending I only see you as a friend. I'm tired of being scared I can't be the person you want me to be but I couldn't be scared forever so what the hell, right?" he tries to reach for the side of his cheek as tears rolled down one by one. It’s been so long since he last saw her cry, Song Hwa never cries. But she shakes her hand as well as her head so he stopped.

“You paraded girls in front of me in all those years I’ve forgotten when I started feeling numb already, like it’s become a painstaking routine I can’t escape from anymore. At one point I actually was able to convince myself I was over you but those eyes of yours, they always get me. One look from you, one look and I feel like I’m transported back to when we were 20, when I thought we shared mutual feelings for each other. But I think I was really good at schooling myself I eventually learned to dodge those, sealed it in and kept it at the back of my head. I jumped from one relationship to another and they fail every time because I was too busy with school, with work, with everything. That never bothered me because my friends are all single anyway. Remember when Rosa emmeonim was so scared none of us will ever get married because she thinks all we do aside from studying and going to the hospital is to eat, drink, and be in the band.”

She laughed but her eyes showed a different emotion. A tear escaped from his and there’s a lump in his throat he can’t seem to swallow. He didn’t know what to say and how to react. He’s hurt her in all those years same way he’s been torturing himself. Lee Ik-Jun, you’re a mess.

“And then you got married. Ik Jun-ah, you don’t know how relieved I was when I actually felt happy on your wedding day. I must have been over you that I felt genuine happiness when I saw you walking down the aisle. I knew you were going to be great a husband and a great father even though I don’t believe in marriage myself. When I saw you with U-ju I knew there was a reason why I fell for you, you’re a good person, Ik Jun. You’re a great dad, a great friend. I’m okay with just being your friend for as long as I can remember. This is probably why I’m at odds right now, I’ve long accepted the fact that we can never be together, Lee Ik Jun. You can still take back what you said and I’ll be okay, you know. I’ve been okay in all those years---”

“Chae Song Hwa, no one’s taking back anything. I won’t and neither will you, okay? I am done running away from you, our pace has finally met. No more taking a step back, no more moving forward on our own, Song Hwa-ya. ”

“Will it be worth it in the end?” She asks him, the array of emotion in her eyes made the knots in his heart twist in the most painful way possible. Her lips quivered as she tries to hold back her tears. “I can’t lose you Lee Ik Jun, I’d rather have you as a friend for the rest of my life than to lose the man I’ve loved since I was twenty and my best friend altogether.”

He reaches for her again and this time Song Hwa lets him wipe her tears. He leans in and wrapped her in his arms, patting her head as she settles in the crook of his neck.

“Song Hwa, you smell like sujebi.” He jokes to lighten the mood.

“You smell like sujebi, too. You idiot.” She snorts and pinches his side.

“Yaaa! I think I’m gonna be a battered boyfriend.”

“What did you say?” she lifts her head and looked at his face. Damn, she never thought she could see his face this close, Ik Jun got rid of those weird highlights and looks more like a Seoul person now than he was many years ago. He hugs her tighter this time, as if telling her it’s all gonna be fine.

“We’ll make every second of it worth it.” It was an answer to her question earlier, she felt her heart swelling like all the burden she’s carried for years is finally out of her chest.

He kisses the top of her head, something he’s always wanted to do. He can’t believe she’s finally in his arms, something he has dreamt of since he was twenty. 

Just like that, the rain slowed down as if it finally stopped crying with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aight this would be my first fanfic ever so apologies for the grammar and the flow. I'm a noob, I know. I hope you enjoyed the story the same way I felt while writing it. IkSong endgame!

**Author's Note:**

> Originally wanted Chi Hong's location to be vague i.e. if he's really in Sokcho or in Seoul but I ended up writing it this way.


End file.
